‘Duck Dynasty’ Kills the Competition

Even those few folks who had never heard of the hit reality series “Duck Dynasty” recently saw some of the cast of the reality show in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

A&E’s reality television series follows the lives of the Robertson family, who became wealthy as a result of the success of a family-operated business, Duck Commander, which is headquartered in West Monroe, Louisiana.

The show routinely includes scenes exhibiting time-honored American values, which, incidentally, certain current-minded television executives previously had a difficult time believing were marketable.

Some of the values that are seamlessly woven into many of the episodes include fervent faith, family loyalty, dedication to the work ethic, and valuing of our constitutional rights, Second Amendment rights in particular.

To refer to the show as a hit does not really do it justice; more accurately, it is a full-fledged TV phenomenon.

Last week the Season 3 finale drew a massive 9.6 million viewers. “Duck Dynasty” ended up being the most-watched telecast in A&E’s history as well as the evening’s highest rated television show, when both cable and broadcast programs are taken into consideration. The reality series even trounced the small-screen powerhouse “American Idol.”

The males in the Robertson clan sport beards a la ZZ Top, making the Texas band’s tune, “Sharp Dressed Man,” a perfect fit for the show’s theme song.

Patriarch Phil Robertson created the Duck Commander duck call back in 1972 and launched the Duck Commander Company the following year.

Before Phil became a duck hunting legend, he played college football at Louisiana Tech University, starting ahead of famed Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current TV analyst Terry Bradshaw. Phil was drafted by the NFL after his junior year, but he turned down an offer from the Washington Redskins, making duck hunting a priority instead.

“Throwing a touchdown pass to a guy running down the sideline, and he runs down with the ball for six, it was fun," Phil told Sports Illustrated. “However, in my case, it was much more fun to be standing down in some flooded timber with about 35 or 40 mallard ducks comin' down on top of me in the woods. That did my heart more good than all the football in the world.”

“Duck Dynasty” is unique among reality television in its unabashed depiction of faith. At the end of each show’s episode, the family prays before breaking bread together. Phil is also often shown reading the Bible.

As a matter of fact, Papa Robertson fought against an early attempt by the show’s producers to edit the word “Jesus” out of the family prayers. When the show’s bosses tried to censor certain language in an effort to alter the image of the Robertson clan, he insisted that the editing cease.

Phil has been speaking to groups ever since hunters began clamoring for him to demonstrate his world famous duck call. However, as a result of his personal spiritual growth the content of his presentations went through a significant transformation.

“I’d say, ‘That concludes the duck call demonstration,’” Phil told USA Today. “I’d bring out my Bible and say, ‘While I’m here, based on my observation of the mischief in America, I need to preach the gospel.’ The audiences just keep getting bigger, bigger, bigger. Obviously, the Almighty put the Robertsons on the road, sharing the good news of Jesus, and do people ever need it.”

“Faith is the number one thing in our lives, and so everything revolves around it: our marriages, our families, our business,” Phil’s son Willie told the Blaze.

Willie’s Uncle Si used faith in addressing the gun control issue when he spoke to a crowd at the Texas Crawfish and Music Festival.

“Hey, look here, the president was just on the news about gun control, but hey, luckily our congressmen and senators, they voted it down,” Si said. “But look, America hasn’t got a gun control problem, we have got a sin control problem. Nothing has changed with the human race, OK? We’re a bunch of flawed people, OK? And ‘Duck Dynasty,’ look here, ‘Duck Dynasty’ is full of flawed people that have turned to Jesus, OK? That’s the difference.”

As an example of a left-leaning reaction to the faith and firearms displayed in “Duck Dynasty,” when the Robertsons were set to appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a scheduled guest, rock singer Morrissey, refused to appear with the reality show cast members, whom he referred to as “animal serial killers.”

The truth is, though, the only thing that “Duck Dynasty” is really guilty of is killing off all of its competition.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax.TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.